Through the explosions of gunfire and the whine of ricocheting bullets, a voice full of panic rang out clearly. "Tigers, pull back!"

Andrew heard the call to retreat. He tried to scramble to his feet, but the dying man clung to him and trapped his legs. Andrew kicked his mortally wounded companion savagely, but the man would not let go. "Damn you! Don't make me die with you!"

Andrew looked up and saw a satchel full of explosives arcing through the air in pitifully slow motion. Is this how it all ends?He kicked hard again. He freed one foot, but the dying man had managed to fling himself onto the other leg and it was trapped beneath his body. His dead weight knocked Andrew down.

As he fell, Andrew aimed his autorifle down the corridor of the ISF ninjas. He squeezed the trigger tightly and watched as smoking shells geysered from the chamber. As the world exploded around him, one thought filled Andrew's mind. I love you, Misha.

Melissa felt the tremor and her heart skipped a beat. Clovis glanced over at one screen, then punched information into the computer. Before he hit the "Enter" key, he turned to her.

"Explosion, Echo level. I'm sorry."

As he punched a key, the Tiger icons vanished without a trace.

48

Pacifica (Chara III)

Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth

25 May 3027

Sho-saAkiie Kamekura did not even try to suppress a smile as his Panthercame within visual distance of the Kell Hound complex. The fires of the burning barracks illuminated the whole area and seemed to hold Pacifica's dark clouds at bay. Long, dark shadows twisted and snapped like flags in a windstorm while the flames raged uncontrolled. The absence of bodies around the building confirmed in Kamekura's mind that none of the jump infantry had survived the surprise attack.

His smile grew as Chu-iOguchi, in the forward position with Ichi lance, radioed a message to him. "Sumimasen, Sho-sa." The Lieutenant failed to keep the excitement from his voice. "There is a fire in the 'Mech bay. Request permission to investigate."

Kamekura nodded slowly. "Hai."He watched as Oguchi led his lance of four Panthersacross the ferrocrete to the large hangar doors of the Kell Hound 'Mech bay. Even at this distance, he could see the flames through the open doors. He signaled Chu-iUjisato Gamo to take M lance over to the west side of the building, while he would lead Sanlance in behind Oguchi. "Be sure to use visual scanners," Kamekura warned. "The fire will render infrared inoperable, and magscan is useless with the 'Mech bay so full of equipment."

Oguchi's Pantherreached the 'Mech bay doors, while his personnel positioned themselves to cover him. Reaching with the Panther'sfree left hand, the Chu-igrasped one edge of a 'Mech bay door and slid it open.

His triumphant cry melted into a wail of terror. A Marauderstepped into the breech and shoved both its lobster-claw appendages into the Panther'schest. Twin forks of PPC lightning wrapped the Pantherin a cocoon of turquoise fire. It lifted the Pantherlike a leaf trapped by a dust devil, then contemptuously dumped the broken 'Mech onto the ferrocrete.

Explosions shredded the bay doors, blasting great holes into them, and finally tearing them from their overhead runners. The doors tottered like playing cards balanced on their edges, then fell outward as Panthersscrambled to escape. One's jump jets ignited, but the pilot miscalculated his trajectory. That Pantherended up smashing into the door it had sought to avoid. Decapitated by the collision, the 'Mech's torso spun off wildly into the night.

Sho-saAkiie Kamekura gasped for breath. Flanking the Marauderamong the flames, the entire Kell Hound 'Mech company stood ready for battle. Kamekura froze for an instant, then issued an order that tasted like ashes in his mouth. "All Panthers,withdraw."

* * *

From his position on the edge of the 'Mech bay, Daniel Allard saw the Command Lance pull back, but he noticed remnants of the Ichilance pressed in to attack. One Pantherraised its PPC and triggered a burst of azure energy that struck Brand's Commandofull in the chest. The blue fire melted armor and sparks flew from within the Commando'schest, but Lieutenant Brand neither panicked nor retreated.

Dan opened his mouth and cleared a direct line to the Commando."Austin, status, immediately."

"Fine, sir." A low growl rumbled through the radio link. "Be better in a minute."

The Commandolaunched two flights of SRMs back at the Panther.Two missiles blasted into the Panther'shead, peeling off armor and shattering one of the 'Mech's two viewports. The other missiles peppered the left side of the Panther'storso. Their blasts flayed the armor from the 'Mech's body, leaving its skeleton exposed. Brand brought the Commando'sleft arm up and fired the laser at the Panther.The corruscating beam sizzled as it scalped the enemy 'Mech and left its head utterly without armor.

Eddie Baker's awkward and ungainly Jennertraded shots with

IchiLance's other unmolested Panther.The Panther'sPPC shot missed the birdlike 'Mech as the Jennerstepped out and away from the 'Mech bay. The Panther'sflight of SRMs scattered explosions across the Jenner'shull, but did little more than dent armor.

The Jennerpilot then spun his 'Mech about to face the Pantherhead-on. All four medium lasers flashed coherent light at the ene-my machine. Two bracketed the Kurita 'Mech, slicing armor from the left and right arms. The other two stabbed into the 'Mech's torso. They melted great canals across the 'Mech's chest and splashed hot ceramic armor to the ferrocrete. The Jenner'sflight of four SRMs blasted the Panther,with the missile hitting the humanoid 'Mech above the heart doing the most damage. There was a muffled explosion from within the Panther'schest, and then the shuddering 'Mech stumbled and fell to the ground.

Off to Dan's left, by the far side of the 'Mech bay, NiLance had started to withdraw, but a murderous hail of LRMs from Lieutenant Fitzhugh's Catapultcut short the flight of one 'Mech. Half the LRMs chopped off the Panther'slegs at the knees and spun the 'Mech to the ground, while the second flight of fifteen opened the Panther'sback. Another missile exploded in the Panther'sSRM magazine, detonating the store of missiles and ripping the 'Mech into a fiery shower of shrapnel.

Mary Lasker's Trebuchetalso engulfed a fleeing Pantherin a deadly rain. Dan shivered as her LRMs hung a collar of fire around the 'Mech's shoulders, and consumed its head in a sheet of golden flame. As the fire boiled upward into an angry mushroom cloud of black smoke and red flashes, the headless Pantherstumbled blindly into the night.

Dan jetted the Valkyriefrom the 'Mech bay, targeting the Pantherthat had shot Brand's Commando.With the gold crosshairs of his missile targeting system on the Panther'sopen left flank, he stabbed the launch button with the thumb of his left hand. "Flight away!"

The ten LRMs spiraled directly in on target, their explosions eating through the Panther'schest like a cancer. They shredded armor surrounding the fusion engine and crushed the gyro. Short-circuited relays fired the Panther'sjump jets. The 'Mech rose one hundred meters on an ion cloud, then exploded and released the fusion engine's artificial sun to dispel Pacifica's dark night.